


Alea

by VesuvianPancake



Series: Gamble for Love [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:29:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VesuvianPancake/pseuds/VesuvianPancake





	1. Part 1

"Frederick Klein!" his mother shouted. "Get your arse down here!"

Frederick stumbled downstairs from the bathroom, lightly hugging his stomach. He made his way to the kitchen where his mother was.

"What in the devil were you doing?" she asked.

"Heavin' my guts out, what d'you think?" Frederick said sarcastically.

"Whatever," his mother shoved him away. "Go on the farm, do your bloody job. And lay off the alcohol!"

Frederick sighed and made his way outside, putting on a jacket because it was a brisky morning. He got on the tractor, revved up the engine, and drove off on the rode to the farm. It was a long drive and he regretted every second of it. He should've just said no to his mum. He had just been drinking for hours and hours the previous night and had woken up with a massive hangover. _If I hadn't have drank so much, I would've been fine with doing the work..._ Frederick thought. _Oh, to hell wit' it..._ He got off of the tractor and headed to the barn where the horses were kept. He gathered a bag of oats from the corner and poured them each a fair amount into their troughs. One of the horse whinnied and started bucking around when he came near it.

"Easy, girl," Frederick said in a calm tone. "Easy..."

The horse slowly died down and stopped whinnying. He patted her nose. "Good girl," he said. "That's a good lass."

The horse made a soft whinnying sound as Frederick continued to stroke her white snout. He patted her side and fixed a saddle onto her back. 

"Wanna go for a ride?" he asked. "Eh, lass?"

The horse neighed. Frederick smiled and climbed onto her back.

"I guess that's a yes then, eh?" he stroked her blonde mane. "Go on, girl."

The horse took a few steps out of the stable, and then Frederick slashed the leash. "Go!"

The horse ran faster and faster out of the table. The crisp wind blew onto his face, causing his eyes to sting, but Frederick enjoyed it. This was the only time he ever felt happiness. He raised one hand into the air and cheered. "Woohoo!"

The horse whinnied in response, leaping up high for a brief moment, then landed on its hooves and slowed down. Frederick turned her around and headed back to the stable. 

"That was a good run, wasn't it, lass?" he said, patting her side.

The horse neighed, a bit annoyed.

"Eh, you're probably annoyed 'bout me just calling you 'lass', aren't ye?" He smiled. "Alright, then, Honey." 

Honey neighed and nuzzled Frederick's hand. He smiled and scritched her nose. "Good girl, Honey..." he muttered. "Good horsie."

* * *

"Feed the horses?" his father asked at dinner.

"Yeah, Pa," Frederick answered, picking at his spaghetti.

"Good," his father took a sip of his beer. Frederick stared at it in want.

"Don't ye dare..." his mother said sternly.

"Ma, just one drink?" Frederick asked.

" _No_." she said finally.

"Fuck..." Frederick muttered under his breath. He stood up. "I'm goin' to bed."

"But you didn't even finished your dinner!" his father said, but Frederick ignored him and headed upstairs to his room for the night.


	2. Part 2

The next morning, Frederick was in the kitchen, eating an apple and staring out the window at the green pastures in front of their England home. 

"Don't you wish we could move out of Halifax?" Frederick asked.

"We can manage here," his father said.

"I barely get shit done here, Pa! We should either move from this shithole or get someone to help me out with the farm work."

"I suggest the latter," his mother said. "Go out, ask around."

"You an' I both know I'm too awkward to do that." Frederick headed to the front door. "Imma go for a ride."

"'Ave fun, you disappointment of a son!" his father shouted as he walked out the door. Those words stung to hear. He and his dad didn't always have a very good relationship, but Frederick's father took it too far. He climbed into the truck, turned the key, and drove up north to Yorkshire. 

* * *

When he got there, he lounged outside a bar, taking a drag. Then a man no older than him walked in front of him.

"You know loitering isn't allowed here, right?" he asked. He had a faint Spanish accent.

"Yeah, I know." Frederick answered.

"Nice." the man stood next to him and pulled out his own cigarette. He turned to Frederick. "Got a lighter?"

Frederick pulled out a lighter from his pocket and flicked it on. The man brought the end of the cigarette to the flame and pulled it away, once ignited. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag. He turned to Frederick. "I'm Link," he said.

"Frederick," Frederick answered. "Is Link short for summat?"

"Yeah, it's short for 'Lincoln'," Link answered, twirling his cigarette in his fingers. He then stuck the cigarette in his mouth and pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. "Know how to play War?"

"Yeah, I do," Frederick answered.

Link grinned and sat on the ground. Frederick sat next to him, watching him deal the cards. Then he stopped.

"Can I ask ye a question?" Link asked.

"Tryna sound British, are ya?" Frederick snickered.

"Oh, hush up." Link smiled and handed him his set of cards. "Anyway, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, I guess." he fidgeted with the cards in his hands.

"Are you gay?"

Frederick stared at him. "Well that's a random question."

"Well are ye?"

Frederick blushed. "I-- erm..."

"It's a yes or no question, _hombre_."

"Y-Yeah, I am." 

Link nodded and tossed a card in the middle. "So am I."

"Ever fucked someone?" Frederick asked, placing a card down and taking the two cards and adding them to his deck.

"No," Link answered. "'ave you?"

"No." Frederick put a card down and Link did the same, taking the two cards.

"Would you like to fuck someone?" Link asked.

"Sure, if they were bigger and stronger than me."

Link gave him a curious look. 

"... okay, maybe just stronger."

Link snickered. "I'm sure anyone would be stronger than you. You're just skin and bones."

Frederick blushed. Link was right. He was just skin and bones. He was 5'11, but weighed no more than 100 pounds. Still, he was a pretty handsome man, with chocolate brown eyes and honey blonde hair. He had a few freckles, but they were barely visible. Actually, Link didn't look that bad, either. He was probably about... 5'7, maybe 5'8. He had tan skin, shoulder-length black hair, and hazel eyes. And his smile was... adorable.

Link smiled and snapped his fingers in front of Frederick's face. "Hey," he said softly. "You alive?"

Frederick blinked. "Oh! Oh... yeah... I am." He placed a card in the middle and Link had played sevens.

"Oh," they both said in unison. They looked up at each other and grinned. "I..." they both placed down a card. "Declare..." they placed two cards down. "War!" they both placed down the same card again. They both laughed.

"Wow, perfect match!" Link said, his laugh light and sweet.

"If we get another match, I will scream." Frederick said.

Link smiled and they started piling cards in the middle again. "I..." they two more. "Declare..." they tossed the same card again. "War-- WHAT?!"

Frederick covered his mouth, stifling laughter. Link sighed and gathered the cards again.

"Well, that was fun," he said. "But I gotta go."

"Go where?" Frederick asked.

"I'm looking for a job."

"What kind of job?"

"A job on a farm."

Frederick's face lit up. "I-I was looking for someone who would want to help me do farm work at my place... Maybe you can help!"

"Hell yeah!" Link stood up, tossing his cigarette on the ground and stomping on it, putting it out. "Can we go now?"

"Sure. Hop in." He opened the truck door and climbed into the driver's seat. Link sat in the seat next to him.

"Ready?" Frederick asked.

"Yes!" Link answered, cheering. Frederick smiled and started driving back home.


	3. Part 3

"'m home, Ma!" Frederick shouted, opening the door. "And I found someone who could help with the farm."

"Good job, Fred," his mother said. "Go work wit the horses."

"Alright, Ma." Frederick turned to Link, who waved at Frederick's mother. She waved back and watched as Frederick and Link got in the truck and drove off to the farm.

"That's your mother?" Link asked, absentmindedly shuffling his deck of cards in his lap.

"Yeah," Frederick replied. "Why?"

"Just asking," Link replied, tucking the deck into his jacket. "You look like her."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

Frederick stopped the truck right in front of the barn and got out of the car. Link did the same thing and followed him up the hill to the farmhouse.

"So... you only have horses?" Link asked.

"Yeh," Frederick answered. "Ten total- Six mares, two colts, and two foals."

"Do they all have names?" 

"Yeh, but only one actually listens to me."

"Who?"

Frederick opened the door to the farmhouse. Several of the horses whinnied and jumped around when Frederick came in. Link followed Frederick to the last stall and gasped when he saw the white mare.

"This her?" Link asked.

"Yeh," Frederick answered, stroking her head. "Her name's Honey."

"Awww. Any special reason why she's named Honey?" Link asked, reaching up to pet her neck.

"She's sweet and friendly." Frederick asked. He opened the stall and Honey trotted out, stopping at Frederick's side. "She's loyal as well."

Honey neighed and nudged Link's hand with her head. Link smiled and scratched under her chin. 

"She is really sweet," Link said. He then began to stroke her head at the same time.

"I think she really likes the attention," Frederick said with a small smile. He went over to the saddles and placed one on Honey's back. He climbed onto her back.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Frederick asked.

"Never rode a horse before..." Link thought for a moment, then looked up at Frederick with a smile. "But I'd like to try."

Frederick smiled and helped Link onto the horse. Link sat right behind him and wrapped his arms around Frederick's waist.

"Ready?" Frederick asked.

" _Si, si!_ " Link answered. " _Estoy listo!_ "

"You do know I can't speak Spanish, right?" Frederick said, smiling. He slashed the leash, encouraging Honey to start running.

"I said I was ready!" Link shouted as Honey started running out into the field. The sun shone on their faces as they rode farther out into the green pastures.

"This is awesome!" Link cried, raised an arm up into the air and started cheering. "Woohoo!"

Frederick laughed. "I sure hope so!" 

Link cheered some more and slightly stood up on Honey's back. "I'm king of the world!"

"Sit your Spanish arse down!" Frederick shouted, laughing.

Link chuckled and sat down on the saddle again. Frederick turned the horse around and they made their way back to the stables. Link leaped off of Honey's back and watched as Frederick took off her saddle and lead her into the stable.

"Want to help me feed them?" Frederick asked.

"Yes!" Link ran after Frederick. Frederick picked up a few bags of oats. 

"I'll feed the adults, you can feed the foals." Frederick handed Link a smaller bag of oats. "Be careful around them, though. They're hyper."

"I can handle it," Link said, hugging the bag of oats to his chest. He walked off to the foals' stables. Frederick watched him go with a smile and went to feed the horses.

* * *

On the way back to the house, Link had fallen asleep, his head on Frederick's shoulder. Frederick had one arm wrapped around his shoulder. He wondered how just feeding some horses made him tired... He shrugged off the feeling and parked the truck in front of the house. He shook Link awake.

"Oi! Spaniard!" Frederick whispered. "Wake up!"

Link stirred and woke up. He looked up at Frederick. "We're back already?"

"It's only a 30-minute drive, dude." He opened the door. "Now get out."

"Alright, alright," Link opened his door and got out. He followed Frederick inside and up to his room.

"Where are you going?" Link asked.

"To my room. Why?" Frederick asked, opening the door.

"Just wanted to know..."

Frederick smiled and flopped onto his bed. Link sat on the floor next to the bed. Then a knock was heard from the door. It was Frederick's mother.

"Pa 'n I are goin' out," his mother said.

"Alright, Ma." Frederick sat up.

"Also, you didn't introduce me to your farmhouse helper." his mother sounded somewhat irritated.

"Oh. Uh... this is..." Frederick blushed.

"I'm Lincoln! Call me Link!" Link smiled and stood up, holding his hand out for Frederick's mother to shake.

"Aw, you're friendly, aren't ye?" Frederick's mother smiled and took his hand, shaking it. "Well, I'll be back in a few hours." she turned to Frederick. "Try entertaining the guest, Fred. Be a good-"

"Be a good host, I know, I know." Frederick twirled his finger in his hair. "I don't need you to remind me."

His mother sighed. "I'll be back soon." she closed the door behind her.

Link turned to Frederick and smirked. He sat on Frederick's lap, holding his waist in his hands. He leaned in close.

"She's right, you know," he whispered in his ear. "You have to entertain me."

Frederick blushed. "H-How should I go 'bout doin' that?"

Link pulled away, his smirk widening. "I dunno. You're the host. You decide."


End file.
